Preventative Care@3x

National Dog Bite Prevention Week – May 17-23

May 17, 2015 | New Pet, Pet Features

  • shutterstock_117858019Each year, more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs.
  • Almost 1 in 5 people bitten by dogs require medical attention.
  • Every year, more than 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites; at least half of them are children.
  • Children are, by far, the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured.
  • Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.
  • Senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims.

 

These are alarming statistics and ones that don’t need to be true. Dog bites can be extremely dangerous and not all can be prevented, but there are things we can do to help. Some things include training and socializing your dog, keeping your pup on a leash in public (unless at an off-leash dog park your pet is comfortable at,) and speaking with your children about how to approach dogs (and explaining that sometimes it is best to just admire from a distance.)

While there are some circumstances in which dogs turn aggressive for unknown reasons, most of the time there is a reason. As people, we need to keep in mind to not make any moves that could make a dog feel threatened, don’t antagonize them, and always ask the dog’s owner if we can touch them before we do. We don’t know what some of these pups have been through.

If you are interested in learning more about dog bite prevention, please check out the source below.

 

Source: https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx

Disclaimer: Not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding the medical condition of your pet. If you think your pet has a medical emergency, call or visit your veterinarian or your local veterinary emergency hospital immediately.